It says something about the world when the richest man alive sits down at a wooden table on Hvar, wipes sea salt from his sunglasses, and falls in love – not with another yacht or startup – but with gregada.
Yes, gregada.
A peasant stew of fish and potatoes once reserved for men who smelled like anchors and storms. A dish as unfashionable as socks in sandals, yet here it is – gracing the palate of the man who can afford to eat moon dust sautéed in Martian truffle oil.
There’s a subtle poetry to it. That someone who commands satellites and servers found something sacred in boiled fish. Not even “sous-vide,” not “foam of Adriatic essence,” just onions, garlic, and time.
Because gregada isn’t just food. It’s a refusal. A culinary shrug at modernity. It doesn’t want your approval, Mr. Bezos. But it will take your curiosity.
And it did.
Word has it Bezos asked for the recipe. Perhaps he’ll serve it at the next Blue Origin gala. Or maybe it’ll end up as an NFT. Who knows. But the gregada won – not just the moment, but the metaphor.
Somewhere between Hvar’s cobblestones and Silicon Valley’s stock reports, there’s a whisper:
Not everything beautiful is invented in a lab. Some things just bubble in a pot.
And that’s the Croatian miracle we never market well enough.
What is gregada?
Gregada is one of the oldest fisherman’s meals in Dalmatia – a humble blend of fish and potatoes, cooked in olive oil, garlic, and love. Originating from a time when food was simple, local, and full of soul, this dish is a testament to Mediterranean ingenuity: turning the modest catch of the day into something fit for a tech titan.
How is it made?
Ingredients:
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1 kg of fresh sea fish (hake, scorpionfish, sea bass, or bream – whatever’s available)
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500 g of potatoes
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1 large onion
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5 cloves of garlic
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200 ml of olive oil
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Bay leaf, salt, pepper, chopped parsley
Preparation:
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Slice the onion into rings and sauté in olive oil until fragrant.
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Add sliced potatoes and sauté for another 10 minutes.
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Cover with water, add bay leaf and fish pieces, and simmer for about 30 minutes.
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Gently stir and flip the fish a few times during cooking – treat it like a sacred ritual.
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Season with salt and pepper, garnish with parsley, and serve warm.
A message from Hvar
Bezos didn’t comment publicly, but sources say he smiled – the kind of smile that says “I’m impressed.” Haute cuisine is often weighed in grams of caviar and designer plating, yet gregada – a rustic meal once born from necessity – delighted the man who sent rockets into space.
And if that’s not the best kind of Croatian tourism promo, what is?